Islamist Extremism |  | Saadah Masoud via Canary Mission screenshot | Palestinian Activist Pleads Guilty to Antisemitic Assaults - Saadah Masoud, 29, from Staten Island, pleaded guilty to one count of participating in a conspiracy to commit hate crime acts.
- Masoud is involved with Within Our Lifetime (WOL), a virulent antisemitic and anti-Israel group and offshoot of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) in New York City.
- As part of his plea, Masoud admitted to three assaults, including one on a victim wearing a kippah and other Jewish clothing, and one wearing a Star of David necklace, in New York City between 2021 and 2022. Read More
ISIS Marriage Broker Faces Trial Abdullah el-Faisal, a Jamaican preacher who was arrested in Jamaica in 2017 and later extradited to the United States, is facing five charges, including conspiracy and supporting ISIS terrorism, which carry potential sentences ranging from seven to 25 years in prison. Faisal helped facilitate marriages for couples seeking to move to ISIS-controlled territory.
Faisal attempted to help an undercover NYPD officer, pretending to be an aspiring jihadist with medical training, join ISIS. Read Now | | | | | Alt-Right & Alt-Left Extremism |  | Protesters rally at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing, before 13 men were arrested for plotting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and "instigate a civil war" - JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Image | Judge Denies Bid for New Trial in the Michigan Governor Kidnapping Case - A federal judge has denied a new trial request by two men convicted of conspiring to kidnap Michigan's Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
- Lawyers for Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. alleged misconduct by a juror and unfairness by U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker following their conviction by a federal jury in August.
- The individuals were members of a Boogaloo Boi-affiliated militia group called The Wolverine Watchmen. Read More
Trump Hosts Antisemitic Rapper and White Nationalist Commentator - The rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, and alt-right commentator and white nationalist Nick Fuentes attended a pre-Thanksgiving dinner at former president Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property.
- Trump stated he did not know the identity of Fuentes, who the rapper unexpectedly brought with him to the event.
- Fuentes is known for pushing racist and antisemitic rhetoric, including Holocaust denial. Read More
5 Antifa Members Plead Guilty to San Diego Attack - Five Antifa members pled guilty to their role in violent assaults in San Diego, Calif. in January 2021.
- Eleven Antifa members were charged with felony conspiracy and felony assault charges, among other crimes, in a riot case where supporters of former president Donald Trump and random bystanders were beaten in Pacific Beach, Calif.
- In the plea deals, court paperwork revealed the five individuals–Christian Martinez, Bryan Rivera, Joseph Austin Gaskins, Samuel Howard Ogden, and Alexander Akridge-Jacobs–all agreed to two years probation, a fourth amendment search waiver that includes electronic devices, and to not associate with any co-defendant. Read More
| | | | | School Threats |  | Mountain Home Police Department via KY3 screenshot
| Two Students in Custody for School Threats - Two students within the Mountain Home Public Schools in Mountain Home, Ark. are currently in police custody after being accused of making threats over the holiday period.
- The first incident involved a middle school student who allegedly created a hit list and shared it along with a picture of a rifle.
- The second incident involved a student at Mountain Home High School Career Academies allegedly posting a picture on social media of himself holding two guns with a caption reading, “School ready.” Read More
25 Weapons Found and 14 In-school Arrests Made in One School Year in One Virginia County - Prince William County Police Chief Peter Newsham gave a presentation to the county School Board recently about school shooting threats.
- In this one county in Virginia, a total of 25 weapons, including nine guns, were recovered and 14 arrests were made in schools during the 2021-22 school year. Read More
| | | | | Hostile Foreign Influence Operations |  | A Netizen in Shanghai, China, following Elon Musk's Twitter page - CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Image | China Floods Twitter With Pornography to Hide News of Protest - The Chinese government is flooding Twitter with pornographic images and posts about escorts to hide posts about protests in China over COVID-19 lockdowns.
- The latest batch of protests was sparked after 10 people died in an apartment fire in Xinjiang, with demonstrators blaming the strict lockdown policies on their inability to escape the inferno.
- Researchers at the Stanford Internet Observatory discovered an influx of posts flooding search results for Chinese cities and protest-related terms. Read More
Lawmakers Concerned Over Chinese Drones Flying Over Capitol - Federal officials and drone industry experts have delivered classified briefings to the Senate Homeland Security, Commerce and Intelligence committees warning that hundreds of Chinese-manufactured drones have been detected in restricted airspace over Washington, D.C., in recent months.
- These incursions include hundreds of flyovers over the Capitol, Pentagon and White House. Read More
Rep. Ilhan Omar Denies Testimony Alleging She's Qatari Asset - Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (MN-D) denies allegations that she was recruited by a foreign government, received funding from a foreign government, and passed sensitive information through intermediaries to Iran.
- The claims came during testimony by Kuwati-born Canadian businessman Alan Bender, who was giving evidence in the trial of Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad al-Thani. Read More
| | | | | QUOTABLE
"Real liberty is neither found in despotism or the extremes of democracy, but in moderate governments."
-Alexander Hamilton
| | | NOTE TO OUR READERS: We have pulled out the salient points of the articles in this newsletter to keep you informed and focused on the most relevant, important and timely news in national security and extremism. While our national security experts stand behind the summary bullets and deem them trustworthy, Clarion Project does not endorse all the views expressed in the articles linked. | | | | |
